Searching For Ice And Ocean Biogenic Activity
On Europa And Earth

Joan Horvath, Frank Carsey, James Cutts, Jack Jones, Elizabeth Johnson
Bridget Landry, Lonne Lane, Gindi Lynch (a)
Ken Jezek (b), Julian Chela-Flores (c), Tzyy-Wen Jeng (d) and Albert Bradley (e)

(a) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena CA 91109
(b) Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University, 1090 Carmack Rd, Columbus OH 43210
(c) International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Office 275, P.O.Box 586,
Strada Costiera 11, 34136 Trieste, Italy.
(d) Abbott Diagnostics Division, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL 60064
(e) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543

One of the more likely places in the solar system for the existence of extraterrestrial life forms is the Jovian moon Europa. It has been postulated that a volcanically-heated ocean is likely to exist underneath Europa's icy surface. If a detailed remote-sensing reconnaissance of Europa determines that an ocean does exist under the ice, then in-situ measurements will be needed to directly explore the Europan ocean and the ice that lies above it. In order to make quantitative measurements of the Europan environment, a lander spacecraft capable of penetrating the surface ice layer by melting through it is proposed. This vehicle, dubbed a "Cryobot", will be designed to carry a small deployable submersible (a "Hydrobot") equipped with a complement of instruments. The design of an instrument package to search for life across the wide range of thermal and pressure environments expected on Europa, the issues in sample handling, and long-term reliability for a potential multi-year transit through the ice all present difficult design issues. Opportunities for performing investigations of deep, submerged Antarctic lakes on Earth are described which would test the Cryobot/Hydrobot system while collecting intrinsically valuable terrestrial science data.

Keywords: Europa, exobiology, instrumentation, submersibles, ice probes

Observations of the icy Jovian moon Europa by the Galileo spacecraft were acquired at the same time that the scientific and public excitement over the meteoric findings suggesting life on Mars peaked. These events have served to stimulate conceptual planning for a mission to Europa to search for signs of life in the water presumed to underlie its thick surface ice. Since substantial ice covers are also found on Earth, and there is a long history of research into these ice sheets, ice caps, floes, and glaciers, it is useful to examine the scientific and technical benefits in a joint study program for both planets. The planetary exploration program and terrestrial glaciology and oceanography programs have numerous objectives and requirements in common. Here, we examine scientific objectives and observational technologies likely to be of interest to terrestrial and planetary science over the next and outline an integrated development program for those technologies, where appropriate.

Studies of ice sheets and caps are generally devoted to reconstruction of past climates or to understanding the current state of the ice cover, ie., mass balance and stability, from the perspective of possible catastrophic changes in sea level. The climate studies focus on the chemical composition and dust character in the annual layers laid down by snow deposition. Those analyses can go back for over 250,000 years in the, caw of the East Antarctic ice sheet, which is over 4 km thick in its central regions. Studies of contemporary processes concentrate on obtaining observations at depth of ice temperature, velocity, and rheology. In general there remains strong interest in measuring ice sheet chemical and physical properties over space and time. New information about the extent and depth of the large (nearly the size of Lake Ontario) subglacial lake discovered near Vostok Station, East Antarctica, is sparking renewed interest in that site and others. The lake is covered by approximately 4-km duck ice. The lake water chemistry and lacustrine sediments may contain a reoord of early ice sheet development, since the lake may have been isolated for significant geological time. There is also speculation that the lake may provide a suitable habitat for simple life-forms and that it may be volcanically heated. If so, it might provide an excellent simulator for Europa's oceans.

Jupiter and Saturn each possess satellites covered with ice. Jupiter's moon Europa is particularly intriguing because of its position in the Jovian systern. Europa is strongly tidally flexed due to the influence of Jupiter as well as other nearby satellites. This flexing is thought to be the mechanism leading to volcanism on lo, a nearby Jovian satellite, and it is speculated that Europa has volcanic activity beneath its ice as well. Europa's cracked icy surface (Figure 1) is therefore thought to cover an ocean of volcanically-heated liquid water. A primary goal of an early mission will be to determine whether Europa's ice does in fact cover a liquid ocean, and, if so, the depth below the surface of this ice-water interface. Current estimates of the ice thickness range from I to 100 kin. Surface conditions on Europa are estimated to be a temperature of approximately 100 K and a pressure of -11 bar. Acceleration due to gravity on Europa is 13 m/s2.. The conditions at the ice-water interface would depend upon the actual ice thickness; if the ice is 100 Ian thick pressures would be approximately 2 kbar and temperature would be 270 K. Under these conditions the entire ice sheet is most likely composed of Ice 1, the most common form of water ice on Earth under normal conditions. The smallest of the four large Galilean satellites of Jupiter, Europa has a mean density of 3040 kg/m3, a value intermediate between those for icy satellites, such as Ganymede or Callisto, and the rocky satellites, such as Io or the Moon. Schubert et al.' proposed that if Europa were composed of a simple mixture of water ice and rocky material similar to that of lo or the Moon, then it would have a bulk water content of at least 5% by mass. Further, if all the water ice were concentrated in a single surface layer its depth would exceed 100 Ian. Observations of Europa made by the Voyager I and 2 spacecraft revealed that the surface is predominantly composed of water ice, with considerably fewer impurities than are present on Ganymede or Callisto. Of particular interest to the scientific community is the possible existence of extraterrestrial biological activity due to presence of liquid water under the icy surface. Several scientists" have calculated that based on radioactive heat sources and heat transported by conduction, Europa could have a water mantle a total of 100 kin thick comprised in part of a liquid water layer 50 kin deep. However, other authors have opposed this idea because their calculations show that such a water layer would freeze in a very short time compared to the age of the satellite. Peale et al.5 and Cassen et al.6 calculated the rate of tidal heating in an ice shell above a liquid water layer on Europa. They suggested that the heating rate was large enough to prevent the ice from thickening and a liquid layer could therefore be maintained under the ice crust.

Figure 1. Visible image of Europan equatorial zone taken 27 June 1996. Image size approximately 360 x 770 km, 1.6 km resolution.

To date, these results prove inconclusive because the calculated structure depends largely on coarse-resolution data. Observations of the surface indicate that the surface is relatively young compared to that of Ganymede and Callisto, as evidenced by the low number of impact craters. This evidence supports the water layer models 7-8 as does theoretical work by Stevenson". Images taken recently using instruments on board the Galileo spacecraft show the surface to be severely fractured with large areas of the icy surface separating. from the nearby material. It is thought that the dark bands and ridges are a mixture of slushy ice and rocky debris 10. The arrangement of individual plates, some of which appear to have rotated in position, suggest the existence of some lubricating layer beneath the surface at least at the time at which fracturing occurred. It is not yet known whether this layer is, or was, composed of a liquid or softer slush.

Any study of Europa or other icy body will have as a prominent scientific objective the search for life. This search is motivated by analogy with anaerobic life found in abundance in undersea volcanic vents on Earth, or, in fact, virtually anywhere liquid water is found". If Europa does indeed have a liquid water ocean beneath the outer ice crust as a result of interior volcanic heating, then it is possible that hydrothermal vents located on the seafloor may provide the necessary conditions for simple ecosystems to exist. Such vents are found in terrestrial oceans and support many species of marine life, some of which are uniquely found at hydrothermal vent sites. Generally a vent community will extend tens of meters from the vent. Most vents have a finite lifetime of the order of ten to twenty years before becoming inactive, at which time the local biological activity ceases. When a new vent forms, simple bacteria present in the water become the basis for a new vent food chain which can extend to tubular worms, mollusks and crabs. The water ejected from hydrothermal vents is typically rich in sulfur and other minerals. These bacteria extract all nutrients directly from sulfur via chemosynthesis, making sunlight and oxygen unnecessary.

In order to determine if these conditions (or others that might support life) are repeated beneath the Europan surface, it will be necessary to embark on an extensive survey of the satellite using a variety of scientific tools. It seems unlikely that remote sensing techniques alone will be sufficient to determine with any certainty the existence of asubglacial ocean, unless current theories regarding the ice thickness are incorrect. Thus, some combination of orbiter mission and lander missions are needed to satisfy the demands of a complete Europa study.

We indicate here the objectives for the joint program, keeping in mind that some objectives do not apply in both environments.

5.1. Europa

Major scientific questions to be answered about Europa are: Does Europa have an ocean? If so, what is Europa's physical oceanography? Does the ocean have currents? What is the chemistry of the ocean/ice and the mineralogy of the core? is this ocean composed of liquid water, or some part brash ice or slush? Was there ever open water? What geological processes have been at work on Europa, and how active are these forces? How often is the ice surface resurfaced, and what is the mechanism (impact cratering, cryovolcanic resurfacing, or others?) Are biological processes at work, or were there some at work in the past? If so. which ones, and how do they affect observable quantities? What might some habitats be, and what would be the best ways to detect these organisms?

5.2. Earth

Several major scientific questions that can be addressed in an integrated Earth-Europa program are: How do the profiles of specific anions, cations, and dust over regions of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets (as well as certain ice caps of South America and Asia) vary within depositional basins? What is the structure of horizontal profiles of temperature in the active layer for continuous and intermittent permafrost areas of North America, Europe and Siberia? What are the temporal and spatial changes in oceanic vent chemistry, thermal character and biological communities? What evidence is there in subice lake bottom sediments regarding the existence of subglacial lake lifeforms?

At the outset, there needs to be an emphasis on an inexpensive mission to characterize the interior of Europa. Significant data can be obtained with an orbiting spacecraft with only a radio transmitter, needed in any caw for communications. Very detailed analyses of the interior of a planet can be obtained with an orbiting spacearaft; derived parameters would include the moments of inertia and the coefficients of various harmonic expansions, which in turn are related to the interior structure. In the case of an object that is tidally stressed, measurements of oblateness at minimum and maximum tide yield significant information on interior structure. An array of seismometers on the surface would tell definitively whether there is water through analysis of P and S wave transmission. Significant further evidence could be obtained by an imaging spectrometer, which could derive ice compositions since the behavior of the ocean ad ice would depend on the existence of C02 and/or hydrated ammonia. Another potentially powerful instrument is a radar mapper to make more detailed analyses of ice thickness distribution.
An ideal approach to the examination of Europa. including the presence of life, would consist of staged deployments, each of which is crucial to the success of the following phase. Clearly the shortest route to obtaining information on the composition of the Europan "ocean" is to sample the surface material which is thought to have originated at depth and become distributed on the surface by eruption-like processes. To accomplish its goals the orbiter would deploy remote sensing instruments and drop penetrating probes, and the in situ vehicles would all carry a progressively more complex in situ chemical laboratory (ISiCL), discussed in detail below.
In the following sections, the key in situ observational tools of the Europa-Earth Program are described in a preliminary fashion.
The in Situ Chemical Laboratory (ISiCL) will perform chemical analyses of melt and ocean water, including assays for biotic molecules. Instrumented "Impact Penetrators", akin to those being constructed now for deployment on Mars, am dropped from orbit to penetrate the upper layers of ice and perform chemical and physical analyses.
The Cryobot probe, which melts its way through the Europan ice cover, acquires chemical information en route with the ISiCL, and transports the Hydrobot to the Europan Ocean. (Figure 2.)
The Hydrobot (also shown in Figure 2), is a self-propelled underwater vehicle for exploration and analysis of the Europan ocean.

Concepts for a variety of sample return missions have been proposed. One proposed mission could be flown early on to collect surface samples that had been thrown up into orbit by a large impactor. Ile sample collector would pick up dust thrown out many kilometers by the impactor and return it to Earth. The samples could then be examined on Earth for evidence of biological activity. Others would be launched later or perhaps flown in concert with one of the following in situ analysis missions. The following sections describe a set of potential missions. These missions have not been integrated into existing roadmaps, but am an indication of how Europan missions might be flown based purely on integration with Antarctic tests.

6.1. First mission: orbiter deploying impact penetrators. (Launch: 2001+)

The major objectives of the orbiter, from the perspective of this program, are: to generate a good estimate of ice thickness, to determine the surface relief, and to obtain information on the chemical constituents of the surface, especially in regards to understanding the composition of the darker areas. Some of this reconnaissance will be performed by the Galileo orbiter in 1997-8.

Ile instruments required for these analyses include an altimeter and an imaging spectrometer. The mission duration should be long enough to include a tidal excitation event so that short-term deformation of the surface ice can be observed if measurable at the limits of spectrometer resolution. Finally, the orbiter may need to carry surface penetrators, similar to those planned for Mars, to examine the structure of the Europan surface material and possibly to be part of a seismic network to fine-tune the ice thickness estimates. These penetrators will not be discussed further in this paper, but may be a good precursor of the cryobot.

6.2. Next mission: shallow Cryobot melter probe. (Launch: 2005+)

The key requirement of the Europan campaign is accomplished by descending through the Europan ice and into the ocean below to search for signs of life. However, there am sufficient engineering challenges in this that a pathfinding mission is needed. This mission would land a penetrator whose objective is a shallow, 10-500 m melt into the surface, with descent limited by a cable or by a short-lived heat source. The probe should penetrate deeply enough to get below the "gardening layer" on Europa's highly-irradiated sruface and obtain data uncontaminated by external effects. The shallow probe would be equipped with the ISiCL. Measurements would include a surface density profile and size distribution for the topmost layers, and tests for remaining Uwe organics right at the surface. Organics that imply a metabolic pathway are of particular interest, ie., ethanol, butanol, and acetate. The lander also should image the surface to determine its smoothness and hardness, and might carry a hydrophone or seismometer to determine ice motion. Finally, the lander should deploy a radar or equivalent system to determine accurately (within 10%) the ice thickness distribution over its geographical range. The development of Cryobot probe technology for use in the Europan and Earth deployments is a key part of this program and will be discussed in more detail below.

6.3. The Cryabot/Hydrobot mission (Launch: 2010+)

The deep-penetrating Cryobot with its Hydrobot is the ultimate deployment of the Europan program. By the time of its deployment the ice thickness will be known, the density and strength of the upper layers will be established, the technology of the melting probe will be proven on Earth as well as on Europa, and the lSiCL will be fully developed and tested in both environments. The submersible will be designed to answer the question: "How similar is this ocean to those on Earth, and has life evolved along a pathway analogous to the one we know at present on Earth?"

Figure 2. Cryobot/Hydrobot schematic.

6.4. The Earth program

The Earth program is planned to take advantage of technology development for the Europa project, but is not strictly constrained by those developments. In particular, it will require at least some modification of the Europa devices for Earth use. In general, the Europa developments that will find application on Earth are probes similar to the Philberth-type "Cryobot" melting probe used in Greenland (see the discussion under Technology Roadmap), the Hydrobot, and possible penetrators using the ISiCL. 'Me ISiCL is an important concept for Earth as well as Europan application, but the modifications required for terrestrial use may be extensive. In general, the technology is transportable even if the actual devices are not. Some potential earth applications follow.

6.4.1. "Extremophile" life

"Extremophiles", life forms that live in extreme environments, are of intense interdisciplinary scientific interest." These extremophiles can metabolize at temperatures below the freezing point of water and can live in "starvation survival" mode for extended periods of time". Life in hot environments, saline environments, and so on has been observed on Earth, and significant industrial use has been made from substances extracted from these life forms or their metabolic products. A search for new extremophiles, and an understanding of how these creatures fit into known evolutionary schema, will be a primary focus of any Earth exploration.

6.4.2. lce sheet and glacier structural profiles

Recent ice sheet drilling programs have provided astonishing information on climate change over the past 100,000+ years. These data sets have also presented questions on such topics as the poleward/equatorward shifts of atmospheric circulation patterns during climate changes of the past. While of unquestionable value, major drilling programs are so expensive as to be nearly prohibitive. With a suitably modified Cryobot, rapid vertical profiles of key chemical constituents and particles can be made far more cheaply, once the device is developed. Specifically, a series of Cryobot deployments in the West Antarctic ice sheet could use chemical tracers to identify annual layers and dust contaminants to determine the source of the air masses from which the snow was derived- This would gain a far better understanding of the mean transport conditions of the glaciations and interglacials, with an emphasis on the time required for changes in regime. In general, air-dropped penetrators or widely-distributed cryobots could give invaluable information for climate change studies that are currently prohibitively expensive.

It will be crucial that a careful list of technology requirements on both Earth and Europan sides of the program be developed, as well as timing that fits with ongoing programs on both sides.

7.1. The In-Situ Chemistry Laboratory (ISiCL)

Both Earth and Europan exploration can benefit from maximum possible in situ chemical analysis. There we areas of interest distinct to Earth or to Europa, as well as some in common. In both cases, basic technology development in sample handling, reduced mass and power, and increased reliability and sensitivity of basic instrumentation will be key. Instrumentation that will be on the surface of Europa will need to operate in a severe radiation environment. On both Earth and Europa, ice instrumentation must withstand cold temperatures and the wet, variable-pressure conditions inherent in operating in ice. A development program for this instrumentation will need to be undertaken as soon as the science requirements are clearly understood.
In situ chemistry measurement requirements for ice include particle size distributions, chemical constituent concentrations emphasizing a few key cations and anions, and isotopic distributions. It is likely that the emphasis will differ for Earth and Europa. On Earth chemical species will be selected to reflect variables that characterize past climate states. Detection of "life" and the evolutionary stage it has reached will be one of the primary goals of a Europa exploration program. It is, however, difficult to determine what chemical form "life" might take under Europan ice. The planetary program has performed most of its work looking for life in dry environments, and me will look to researchers used to a wet, biotic environment for instrument concepts.

7.2. The Cryobot

The Cryobot would be transported to the Europan surface, presumably by a landing vehicle which would then serve as the communications station for transmitting data to Earth. For the second Cryobot mission, a miniature submersible Hydrobot will be carried through the ice and into the ocean. Both of these missions would deploy the ISiCL, but possibly in different versions.
The Cryobot is an adaptation of the law 1960's Philberth probe 14. new am cylindrical probes approximately 2 m in length and 10 cm in diameter. Housed inside the metal casing are banks of electrical heaters which cause the probe to descend vertically through the ice driven by gravity. The trials of two such probes were conducted at Station Jarl- Central Greenland, in 1968 with mixed success, and the idea has evolved somewhat over time. Although the principles involved were sound, technical problems with the heating elements caused both probes to fail before reaching the intended depth. These probes were powered electrically via a wire spooled from the rear of the probe which became fixed in the refreezing meltwater. Extreme adaptations of thew probes have also been used to melt through rock 15. In the cue of a Europa Cryobot version of this probe, thermal energy would most likely be provided by an onboard power source. It is calculated that a descent rate of approximately 0 2 -1 km per month is achievable, assuming water ice with a 100 K surface temperature. Greenland Philberth probes descended in much warmer ice at 1.5 to 3 km per month. How the devices would work in cryogenic ice with possible contaminants, low pressures, and with smaller-scale vehicles is another challenge, currently being addressed by experimental work at Caltech and at Leicester University in England.
Communication with the Cryobot/Hydrobot through ice and water is not a simple engineering problem. One solution is to connect the Cryobot/Hydrobot to the landing vehicle via an umbilical cable. Ile cable is stowed onboard the Cryobot and played out to allow for the slow descent through the ice. The ice will freeze up behind the Cryobot as it descends. Materials compatible with a wet cryogenic environment will be needed for the cable.
Additionally, data cannot be stored on board the small communications package left on the surface. Due to the intense radiation flux, all data would be corrupted in a short time period. Similarly, a vehicle cannot be left in orbit for prolonged periods. Therefore, data will be processed on board the Cryobot/Hydrobot and then sent directly to Earth (relay options to other lander or orbiter vehicles may be explored as well). The layer of ice above the Cryobot should serve as adequate radiation shielding for it and the Hydrobot.

7.3. The Hydrobot

The Hydrobot is a small submersible which is released from the Cryobot and then autonomously explores the subglacial ocean. Once at the ice/water interface the Cryobot ceases to descend and the Hydrobot is released to explore die ocean. By terrestrial analogy it is unlikely that this interface will be smooth or continuous. Tberefore, the deployment mechanism for the Hydrobot must include sufficient intelligence to determine whether the liquid ocean has been reached. The major constraint on the probe is that it must be small enough to fit within the Cryobot yet still accommodate the instrument package and communication system, which potentially could include many kilometers of cable. This small Hydrobot also must be capable of withstanding extreme hydrostatic pressures. Even if the probe is deployed in a region with few or no active hydrothermal vents, samples of the ocean floor could still be examined so that any dead organic matter present could be detected. Engineering tradeoffs need to be made to determine whether the Hydrobot should communicate with or without a cable; if without, it could use the housing of the Cryobot as a recharge and data release station. The use of the sonar acoustics for data transmission to the Cryobot housing will be examined further.
The Hydrobot requires sufficient buoyancy control to permit movement through the ocean to the desired depth and some degree of horizontal searching through use of currents, presumably driven by volcanic heating or uneven cooling at the upper surface. Even a modest flow of 0.01 m/s would result in the probe traveling of the order of 1 km/day. Active propulsion at modest speeds (0-1 m/s) is possible and might be attractive.
The Hydrobot would have an instrument package that might include: a hydrophone to listen for volcanism, a device to look at backscatter of particulates, measurements of temperature and salinity (or conductivity), a current meter (assuming that currents exist), a sonar imager for navigation and mapping, and a visible imaging system, which is highly desirable, especially near vents.
A modification of the ISiCL laboratory would test for volatiles typical of hydrothermal fluids: high concentrations of H2, H2S, CH, and C02. relative to "normal (Earth) seawater" (whatever this implies on Europa). The age of the vent and the degree of phase separations of its effluents will drive concentrations of these volatiles. Vents tend to be acidic, (as low as pH = 2.5) and a simple pH measurement would give a first indication of the presence or absence of vents. From this data one could estimate the phase of evolution Europa is currently experiencing relative to the postulated evolution of Earth's oceans.
The Hydrobot's version of the ISiCL instrumentation would determine whether the ocean exhibited one set of requirements for "life we would recognize": liquid water, and then possibly a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and phosphorous and sulfur. The ISiCL instruments could perform microscopic DNA fluorescence and send images of fluoresced DNA back, as this may be used to detect the degree of evolution of microorganisms, if any. If organic compounds existed, instruments could determine whether left and right enantiomers are in a racemic mixture 16 (equal amount of the left and right enantiomers) or whether there is a bias toward one of them, as in seen in terrestrial biochemistry (chirality). It has been proposed that very unbalanced handedness would most likely be produced by self-reproducing organics, ie. "life". A particular challenge in the design of the instrumentation will be to determine which chemical reactions can only be mediated by life, and which methods will test for these reactions unambiguously.

It is explicit in this program that the measurement systems and vehicles designed for Europa can be tested in terrestrial environments, and that in the course of those tests scientific projects can be supported with data sets not otherwise obtainable. The test program will focus on several specific sciencettesting campaigns.

8.1. Vostok Lake and similar water bodies beneath ice sheets

Vostok Lake is a body of water several hundreds of meters deep located above the bedrock and 4 km below the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet near the Russian station at Vostok. Since heat input is assumed at the bottom, there is the potential for life in unique forms in the water and sediment, since life in the lake may have been evolving independent of other terrestrial life for significant periods of time. There is also the very zeal prospect of significant interference with those life forms by the entry into the lake water of a contaminated or chemically active probing system. These are also issues in probing the ocean beneath the ice on Europa; hence, it is logical to address the technology required for both of thew programs, and to test planetary program procedures and devices in the Vostok environment. The Vostok Lake exploration techniques can be tested by using the probe to melt through one of the ice shelves of Antarctica and into the ocean beneath, or alternatively to use a similar but less-pristine lake in Greenland for tests. There will be a thorough design, review, and approval process for this probe in order to best safeguard affected ecosystems. It is currently postulated that there will be at least two Vostok missions. A first would consist of a Cryobot outfitted with a camera where the Hydrobot will eventually be installed, for an initial look at the water below the ice. This would be followed by a second mission with a full Hydrobot, as similar as possible to that planned for Europa. Vostok missions would be powered by electricity produced on the surface and transmitted down the Cryobot cable.

8.2. Ice sheets

The great ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica contain our best climate data for the Past quarter-million years, and they also have significant potential impact on human life and affairs in an altered climate. Thus, they are the sites of extensive study. Recent core studies have been of great significance in determining the nature of climate change over the past 100,000 years, and numerous questions have been generated by preliminary core analysis. Repeating the drilling that obtained these cores is not practical in view of the great cost, largely logistical, in these projects. However, the scientific motivation is strong to obtain more profile data in other regions of the ice sheets. Here the refined Philberth probe could be of importance in allowing profiling of selected chemical species and/or dust particles at a fraction of the current deployment cost, while at the same time providing a proving ground for the probe design that will eventually go to Europa.

8.3. Oceanic vents in the mid-latitudes and polar regions

Earth's oceanic vents, where volcanic gases are released at the seafloor, are interesting in their own right as sites of unique life-form development- They art highly relevant to the Europa program as they we a reasonable model of what is expected on the seafloor of Europa as a consequence of tidally-induced volcanism. probes designed to examine and report on the life-forms at the Europan vents should be tested at Earth's vents, and, at the same time, information of the temporal changes in vent communities and Properties could be acquired at far less cost than required for a manned submersible.

We have noted that there are strong motivations to deploy a sequence of instruments in orbit, upon the surface, and through the upper ice layer of Europa in search of life. This program involves extensive development and testing here on Earth. Terrestrial glaciology needs technical development to extend its reach during this period of cost constraints. The applications of this technology include studies of lateral variability in ice sheets, profiles of glaciers, deployments of instrument networks on sea ice, a search for extremophiles, and other topics. There me significant elements common to the programs to study ice on Earth and on such planetary bodies as Europa, Therefore, an integrated program should be examined and defined in detail and presented to the appropriate government agencies, private interests, and candidate foreign participants.Specifically we recommend that a challenging but affordable Europa mission sequence similar to that described above be examined and approved, and a timeline of the missions be proposed. At the same time, a terrestrial long-term glaciology and biology program should be defined which would benefit from the technical advances called for in do Europa missions. Finally, from the examination of the Earth-Europa. science objectives there are key technology developments required. In stating these, we assume that numerous and challenging elements of the program will be addressed outside this program. Among these are: The Europa orbiter, a Communication system to move data from on or below the Europan surface back to Earth, navigation and control which will deploy the various probes where they can best work, power systems, radiation protection, and the like. Emphasizing those developments specifically related to the ice and ocean requirements, we see the need for The In-Situ Chemical Laboratory (ISiCL) Impact-Penetrator precursor vehicle(s). The Cryobot and its surface station. The Hydrobot.

The authors are pleased to acknowledge the sponsorship of the Advanced Concepts Office and In Situ Center Of Excellence at JPL, and the technical divisions of JPL that supplied enthusiastic staff and sound advice for the purpose of generating this concept document. We are also indebted to the participants at. the Europa Ocean Conference, Capistrano Conference #5, Nov. 12-14, 1996 at the San Juan Capistrano Research Institute, San Juan Capistrano, California; they gave us critical comment on our poster describing this initiative and supplied other comments that helped us refine the ideas presented here. Bonnie Burratti of JPL supplied us with comments to supplement their papers there. James Wild and Stephen Trowell, University of Leicester, did original work as JPL-Caltech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows on this topic. We are specially indebted to the participants in our JPL workshops in October 1996 and April 1997, particularly: Ellen Mosley-Thompson, Byrd Polar Research Center, Ohio State University; B. Lyle Hansen and Karl Kuivinen, Polar Ice Coring Office, University of Nebraska Lincoln; S. Prasad Gogineni, Remote Sensing Center, University of Kansas; Terry Cole, Mark Drinkwater, Benjamin Holt, Martin Buehler and Steven Smith, California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Chris McKay and Dale Anderson, of Ames Research Center-, Larry Mallory of Biomes, Inc. and Richard Morita of Oregon State University, and others. If we have forgotten anyone it is not for their lack of contribution. Ile work described in this document was in part performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administratio0n

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13. R. Morita, presentation at Europa/Antarctica Science Workshop, Pasadena CA April 9-11, 1997.

14. K. Philberth, 'Ile Thermal Probe Deep Drilling Method by EGIG in 1968 at Station Jarl-Joset, Central Greenland," in ice Core Drilling edited by J. F. Splettstoesser, Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1974.

15. Dale E. Armstrong, James S. Cleman, B B. McInteer, Robert M. Potter, and Eugene S. Robinson, "Rock Melting as a Drilling Technique." Report LA-3243 UC-38, Engineering and Equipment, TID-4500 (37th Ed.), Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory of the University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 1965.

16. A. J. MacDermott, in Chemical Evolution: Physics of the Origin and Evolution of Life, Eds. J. ChelaFlores and F. Raulin, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 373-379,1996.

*Further author information -

JCH (correspondence): Email: Telephone: 818-354-7431 Fax 818-393-1366 FDC: Email: Telephone: 818-354-8163 Fax: 818-393-6720 JC: Email: Telephone: 818-354-4120 Fax: 818-354-8333 JJ: Email: Telephone: 818-3544717 LJ: Email: Telephone: 818-354-0926 BML: Email: Telephone 818-393-7884 LL: Email: Telephone 818-354-6186 GL: Email: JCF: Email: Telephone: (int.+39 40) 2240392 Fax: (int + 39.40) 224163 TJ: Email: jengtx.add Telephone: 847-937-8880 Fax: 847-938-7072 AB: Email; Telephone: 508-289-2448 Home Page


新概念英语 - 第3册 - 第038课

The first calender 最早的日历

What is the importance of the dots, lines, and symbols engraved on some, bones and ivory?

新概念英语 - 小编笔记

新概念英语 - 教材原文

Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMS are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.

Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.

Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.

calendarn. 历法，日历
historian n. 历史学家
unique adj. 无与伦比的
steadily adv. 不断地
solely adv. 唯一地
video n. 录像
CD-ROOM n. （只读）光盘驱动器
bewilder v. 令人眼花缭乱
deduce v. 推断，推理
scanty adj. 不足的，贫乏的
clue n. 线索
insignificant adj. 不重要的
shed v. 使流出，泻
advent n. 出现，到来，来临
agriculture n. 农业
assumption n. 假定，设想
dot n. 小圆点
symbol n. 符号
engrave v. 雕刻
ivory n. 象牙制品
mammoth n. （古）长毛象
tusk n. 獠牙，长牙，象牙
nomad n. 游牧民
correlate v. 使相互联系
phase n. 月相，天相
primitive adj. 原始的
depict v. 描画，描绘

新概念英语 - 自学导读


WDW Customer Service Numbers

WDW Technical and Non Technical Customer Service Support

What is the Customer Service Number to Call at?:
For any type of assistance you can call at tel: +1-407-939-5277.

Where is WDW Head Office Located at?
The corporate office is located at Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830, United States.
Directions For Driving: The given driving directions path of WDW from your place to Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830, United States.

Which is the Website?
www.disneyworld.disney.go.com is the website of the business.

The Locations Near You?
You can get all nearby locations of WDW on the map?

What is WDW in the Process of?

WDW (Walt Disney World) is the world's famous venue of entertainment and is one of the largest theme parks. The park is designed to provide entertainment and enjoyment facility for all Age group in a single place. WDW or Walt Disney World comprises with many entertainment attractions, rides and other events. The park is renowned for its great attractions and amenities throughout the globe.

Amenities and Attractions

Walt Disney World provides all kinds of facilities and services to the visitors which include accommodation, ATMs, shops, fitness centers, spas, etc. The Walt Disney World consists of multiple attractions and entertainment facilities such as water parks, theme parks, resorts and five golf courses.


This is a follow-on question to Can't pulsars and stars be used for gravitational wave measurement? and the helpful answers there.

The Wikipedia article subsection Pulsar timing array; Active and proposed PTAs mentions:

This is an extremely delicate experiment, although millisecond pulsars are stable enough clocks that the time of arrival of the pulses can be predicted to the required accuracy; the experiments use collections of 20 to 50 pulsars to account for dispersion effects in the atmosphere and in the space between us and the pulsar.

as a way to measure the Gravitational wave background.

Pulsar timing can also be done at X-ray wavelengths and the modest X-ray telescope of the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) currently mounted on the International Space Station has been used to determine it's orbit to high precision based on a sequence of pulsar timing measurements and a model of the Earth's gravity field as a proof-of-concept demonstration. See Is NICER/SEXTANT the first civilian “spacecraft” to determine it's own position in space without GPS or uplinked data?

Question: Would an X-ray-based pulsar timing array in orbit or on the Moon to study GW background be effective? This coul take some loading off of the large Dishes and possibly offer a lot more time coverage. The X-ray telescopes are fairly small and amenable to deployment in a medium or high Earth orbit. Equipped with radio transponders or corner cube reflectors like LAGEOS their positions would be regularly measurable and highly predictable between measurements. The movement of The Moon's position and orientation is known to essentially centimeter accuracy due to extensive laser ranging of the Apollo-era retroreflectors.

But I don't know if the timing of the pulses in the X-rays would be better or worse for this kind of measurement. As pointed out in International Pulsar Timing Array "The resources of the IPTA are substantial" and dispersion in the ionosphere and atmosphere are a problem for the radio observations and the X-ray measurements above the atmosphere would solve that problem, but there may be others.

Your Answer

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.


Debugging Web Workers

May 22, 2019

Here’s how you would do it for various major browsers:

If you are debugging service worker or worker, you can head down to the console. There’s a dropdown menu, if you haven’t noticed previously, that says “JavaScript context”.

chrome console

chrome console context

chrome worker context

For shared worker, you would need to go to chrome://inspect/#workers. Select “Shared workers” on the left panel.

chrome shared worker

You can click “inspect”, which will open a new console for you to debug.

firefox shared worker

safari console context

Thank you for your time reading through this article.
It means a lot to me.

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One document found

Polarized radiation as tracer of magnetic fields in star formation

Magnetic fields are observed on a wide range of astronomical scales: from the entire cosmos, galaxies and giant molecular clouds, to smaller molecular clouds with low-mass star formation and protostellar disks, to protoplanetary disks. There is an ongoing debate about whether magnetic fields play...


ML p(r)ior | Adnominal adjectives, code-switching and lexicalized TAG

Adnominal adjectives, code-switching and lexicalized TAG

In codeswitching contexts, the language of a syntactic head determines the distribution of its complements. Mahootian 1993 derives this generalization by representing heads as the anchors of elementary trees in a lexicalized TAG. However, not all codeswitching sequences are amenable to a head-complement analysis. For instance, adnominal adjectives can occupy positions not available to them in their own language, and the TAG derivation of such sequences must use unanchored auxiliary trees. palabras heavy-duty `heavy-duty words' (Spanish-English; Poplack 1980:584) taste lousy sana `very lousy taste' (English-Swahili; Myers-Scotton 1993:29, (10)) Given the null hypothesis that codeswitching and monolingual sequences are derived in an identical manner, sequences like those above provide evidence that pure lexicalized TAGs are inadequate for the description of natural language.

Highlights - Most important sentences from the article


Anna Mrazek Kovacic is the leading Czecho-Slovak photographer in the field of fashion and beauty photography best known for her provocative visual sense combined with high aesthetic value. Bold, daring, alluring photographs with strong sexual charge, sense of composition and color harmonizing, original locations, sets and decorations are all characteristic features of her work. Perhaps most importantly, Anna possesses a unique ability to bring out and capture the one’s most beautiful looks. Her fashion editorials are often featured in Elle, Dolce Vita and Harper’s Bazaar and many others and she has shot numerous campaigns for a wide portfolio of international clients, such as Harvey Nicols, Schwarzkopf, Louis Vuitton, to mention just a few. In 2007 she was awarded a Czech Grand Design prize ‘Fashion Photographer of the Year’. Anna lives in Prague with her husband and is being the world’s-best-mum to their five years old son.


To: Loretta Lynch, Attorney General

Hold Gov. Synder accountable for poisoning Flint children

We demand an investigation and, if warranted, the arrest and prosecution of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.

Why is this important?

What's happening in Flint, Michigan, is disastrous—and it's personal for me: Flint is my hometown and the community at the forefront of my first major documentary film "Roger & Me."

Gov. Synder violated the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations by cutting off clean drinking water to the city of Flint—impacting more than 100,000 people. Instead of safe, clean drinking water, the people of Flint had polluted water piped into their homes from the Flint River—water that was then contaminated with lead.

He said he did this to "cut costs". He knew he could get away with it because Flint is one of the poorest towns in the country.

There is no way to totally reverse the effects of lead in a child’s blood stream. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe blood level of lead for children.

The children of Flint, already among the poorest in the U.S., will now have to endure a life of pain, irreversible brain damage, and lower IQs because of Gov. Snyder’s actions and the ensuing cover up.

Justice must be served—and other elected officials must be put on notice that people’s lives are more important than balancing a budget.


Zen and the Art of Data Maintenance: People Silos Cause Data Silos

COL02x - feature image silverstonWith the exponential growth of data from so many different sources, data silos (or in other words, separate unintegrated data stores) are more prevalent than ever.

However, what is the root cause of data silos? People silos! The more that people view themselves as separated, the more that data is separated.

But aren’t people and various organizations, in truth, actually separate entities? Or are they? If they are actually separate entities, what issues does this cause?

Imagine two groups in an organization: a data science group and a data management group. The data science group is focused on creating and implementing useful models for predictive analytics. The data management group is focused on creating quality integrated information. However, the data science group does not want to talk to the data management group as it does not want to get involved in bureaucratic standards and common vocabulary issues or matters that seem to be less important than their deliverables.

The data management group prioritizes their important task of data integration and sees it as the foundation of successful systems. What I have seen in this scenario is a lack of true cohesive, unified efforts between these two groups. Hence, the data silos between the data management group and the data science group. Research suggests that data scientists are spending about 80% of their data on data quality issues. Often, they will use a data engineer (not from the data management group) to cleanse their data. Since one of the key interests of the data management group is to create data quality, doesn’t it make sense for these groups to collaborate to create a much better outcome? And yet, in my experience and the experience of many others, this does not seem to happen.

There are many other examples of various people and groups not collaborating and acting independently. For example, I have seen the human resource department of an organization say that their data is extremely sensitive (which of course it is), so therefore this type of data cannot be shared or integrated with other types of data and must be kept in a separate system. The irony is that human resource data is one of the most interrelated types of information since so much data is connected with people-oriented information.

Another example is that the financial area of an organization may keep their information in a separate accounting system and be very cautious of data sharing since their information is also extremely sensitive. I have been on data integration efforts where the financial organization will say that they are glad to share and help integrate their information, and yet when we have asked for their data, there are often significant stalls (sometimes indefinite) in getting this data.

Finally, I have been involved in many customer relationship management integration efforts, and when I ask salespeople to share and integrate their customer information so that it can be a useful enterprise resource, this is often a challenge. The underlying thought here (even though not expressed outwardly in this manner) is often, “Really, you want me to share intimidate details that I have collected from my dear customers? First of all, this information is confidential. Secondly, this information really represents power that I have.”

Does data represent power? If you look at the examples of Amazon, Google, and Facebook, it seems that those who have more data have more power. So why would people and organizations share and integrate data and give away their power?

The key operating premises in the above scenarios is that people and organizations are separate. But are they really? Or are all people and organizations already integrated and connected and we just pretend that we are not?

What Does This Have to Do with Zen?

Zen is a Japanese word for ‘awareness’.  It also represents a school of Buddhism with philosophical principles. One premise of Zen (and many other philosophical teachings in other traditions) is that the more that we think we are separate, the more difficult things become. Another way to say this is that the greater our ego (our self-referencing), the more suffering we experience.

It seems to me that we can extend this thinking to the premise that the more that we think we are separate within an organization/company, the less integrated our systems are, which makes the organization weaker, less productive, more chaotic, and prone to disintegration (which literally means to ‘separate into parts’ or ‘to crumble’).

So when we think of ourselves or our teams or organizational units as separate, we tend to build separate, disintegrated systems. When we see ourselves or our projects as separate, we tend to create our own vocabulary/language for each system, develop separate hardware and software infrastructure and implementations, develop independent data stores, and this leads to ‘data silos’.

So, if we can think of ourselves as non-separated and connected, then this will lead to systems and data integration.

Although this is not the norm, I have witnessed great examples of this type of thinking in several large organizations that work extremely well as a large integrated team without much ego. For example, in one large financial institution, they adopted a standard business language and standards across the entire organization, were all working towards a common vision that they were all excited about and were able to develop extremely efficient and effective systems to support their investors. The investors themselves were an integrated part of the development process!

Many organizations incent people by pinning them against each other in competitions. In our culture and society, we tend to reward individual successes and compare our accomplishments with each other. In organizations, people are often competing for promotions, raises, and power. Thus, the idea of not acting as if we are separate is difficult to realize.

What Can We Do?

This is a difficult issue and not easy to address, yet if we are to better integrate data, we must address it.

Three possibilities for moving towards more integrated people and thus more integrated systems and data are:

  • Think of ourselves and our teams as connected. Continue to ask the question, ‘How am I connected to various people, organizations and things?’ Realize that even though we experience some separation, we are also all connected to everything.
  • Establish a shared and compelling purpose for your area of the business and connect it to the overall purpose of the entire organization. When the vision and purpose of an organization is clear, commonly accepted, compelling and concise (I call this the four C’s), then it is more likely that people will see themselves as integrated if they are drawn to the shared purpose and vision.
  • Establish a common vocabulary. Quite often, miscommunication leads to separateness. Interestingly, the etymology of the word ‘communicate’, comes directly from the Latin ‘communicationem’ which literally means “a making common”. Luckily, the need for establishing common business glossaries has been recognized more lately. To help these types of efforts, we have developed a tool called the Universal Business Glossary, to help establish common terms and definitions by re-using constructs that have worked well in many organizations (many of these standard terms and definitions are based upon decades of research and based upon many of the concepts in the Data Model Resource Books). If you would like to learn more about this, please see Universal Business Glossary Webinar.

If we were to answer the question, to be separate or not to be separate, let’s consider that both are appropriate. While it seems that to some degree, we are separate, let’s make sure to acknowledge the opposite: that we are also not separate at all. At a deeper level, we are interrelated with all other people, all aspects of our organizations and systems, and for that matter, with everything else!

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Len Silverston

Len Silverston

Len Silverston is a best-selling author, consultant, speaker and internationally acclaimed expert and thought leader in the fields of data governance, data modeling, data management, and in the human dynamics of integrating information data. He is the author of The Data Model Resource Book series (Volumes 1, 2, and 3), which describe hundreds of reusable data models. The volume 1 book was rated #12 on the Computer Literacy Best Seller List and his volume 1 and 2 books have been translated into Chinese and in 2009, he co-authored “The Data Model Resource Book, Volume 3, Universal Patterns for Data Modeling”, which has been translated into Korean. Mr. Silverston has published many articles and has been a keynote speaker at many international data conferences. He is the winner of the DAMA (Data Administration Management Association) International Professional Achievement Award and the DAMA International Community Award. He has given many keynotes and has received the highest speaker rating at several international conferences. Mr. Silverston's company, Universal Data Models, LLC, http://www.universaldatamodels.com provides consulting, training, publications, and software to enable information integration as well as people integration. - He is also a personal and corporate mindfulness coach, trainer, and teacher and has studied and taught many forms of spirituality and life development skills for over thirty years. He has attended, staffed and/or led hundreds of days of silent, intensive retreats as well as dozens of life development workshops. After intensive practice in Zen, he was ordained as a Zen Priest in 2011. ‘Kensho’ Len Silverston provides ongoing ‘Zen With Len’ (http://www.zenwithlen.com) individual and corporate coaching, seminars, meditation gatherings, and retreats.

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Bible Reliability

The Bible consists of 66 separate books, written over a period of about 1,500 years, in three different languages—Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek—on three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Thematic Consistency

The Bible has over 40 separate authors, including kings, peasants, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, a shepherd, a military general, a cupbearer, a doctor, a tax collector, and a rabbi. These writers included murderers, adulterers, human rights abusers, traitors, and whiners. Each wrote under different circumstances, ranging from the battlefield to prison to palace living.

A few of the Old Testament writers knew their co-authors, and each succeeding scribe could read the books previously written, but none of these writers could have known the New Testament would be written, much less what its authors would write.

The New Testament authors could read the Old Testament books, and many of them knew each other. However, the earliest New Testament writers could not have known what later authors would write.

Despite this diversity of authorship, structure, topics, and writing styles, as well as the complexity of the subject matter, the Old and New Testaments complement and complete each other.

Together, both testaments provide a continuous and harmonious account of God’s dealings with man without any contradiction, because they are the product of a single mind. Just as God is unchangeable, internally consistent, and perfect, so is his message to the world.

Both the Old and New Testaments were divinely inspired and inerrant, in their original writings. God did not move the pens of entranced authors. Instead, he enlightened the writers in many ways, on many levels, built his message into their lives, and motivated them to record it.

Each Bible verse has equal merit. Some editions print the New Testament words of Jesus in red ink, which may lead readers to mistakenly think these verses are holier than all others. This presumption is incorrect. The entire Bible is divinely inspired.

Preservation And Assembly

Centuries before the birth of Jesus, the Old Testament was maintained by a group of specially trained artisans who used exacting techniques to precisely copy every detail of the preceding edition and double-check the latest version.

Assembly of the New Testament began soon after apostles started writing. Its final configuration was established a few decades after the last book was written, based on whether the authors were contemporary witnesses of the events they described.

Consistent Copies

As with other ancient writings—Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Caesar, etc.—the original Old and New Testament documents have disintegrated into dust. All that remain are copies of the original manuscripts. The Bible we read today has been reconstructed from these copies.

The underlying accuracy and reliability of these copies, relative to the original manuscripts, is a function of three tests: How close to the time of the original writings can we date them? How many copies do we have? How consistent is the text from one copy to another?

Some people believe the Bible is incomplete. They claim God amended the original Biblical teachings through subsequent revelations to more recent authors. However, Jesus declared the Old Testament complete and accurate. His deity validates this representation.

The Book of Revelation states explicitly that it is the final written word from God, and no further elaboration would be forthcoming. Its prophetic fulfillment, which is currently in process, validates this pronouncement.

Textual Reliability

Some critics say other gospels, such as those supposedly written by Judas and Thomas, are as valid as the four written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However, the textual reliability of these other gospels does not hold up under scrutiny.

Other critics contend the Bible is full of contradictions. There are none. Some purported contradictions take verses out of context. Others reflect doctrinal misunderstandings, or incorrect assumptions, about historical context.

Many passages identified as contradictory are actually complementary—two descriptions of the same event by two different gospel writers. These seeming contradictions indicate there was no corroboration between the gospel writers.

Some skeptics question the credibility of the four New Testament gospels, by contending the miracles Jesus performed were hoaxes.

We can be confident that Jesus performed miracles because the four gospels are credible documents.


How to improve parent-teacher communication

Your school’s teachers are already juggling multiple responsibilities. They don’t just trust employees of a school administration. They also have a responsibility to each and every student’s parents.

On top of a full-time job inside the classroom, teachers need to report on student performance and behaviors. Traditionally, this is done through monthly or quarterly parent-teacher conferences, but today’s parents need more.

The more hectic parents’ schedules get, the more actively they worry about their child’s well-being and academic performance. Modern school management software takes a huge burden off of teachers’ and parents’ backs, allowing them to transparently monitor child interaction with teachers, their progress through school, and their attendance.

School administrators use tools like WPSchoolPress to improve parent-teacher communication by cultivating transparent relationships, setting the foundation for trust, address and resolve urgent school matters easily.

Let’s look at how those issues get in the way of school communication, and how administrators can address those obstacles to encourage teacher involvement and parent satisfaction.

Transparency Leads to Greater Accountability

A child’s academic results are the result of a team effort. If grades are good, it means teachers are using effective methods to keep their students interested in the subjects, and leading them towards excellence. In turn, teachers and parents alike are motivated by their school administrators. It is your job to think of ways to improve student performance and ways which make parents decide that your school is the best school for their child.

When student performance does not meet expectations, it is not always due to the lack of interest on teachers’ behalf, but often due to a lack of transparency. Parents might receive the news of their child’s poor performance after it has already caught traction and formed a troubling pattern. This moment can be avoided altogether if schools assume greater responsibility for student conduct and performance. Administrators who empower teachers to communicate with parents in a transparent manner help build a solid foundation for student success.

For example, one in six American students is chronically absent. Schools with better channels of communication between teachers and parents are able to reduce chronic absenteeism and keep at-risk students in the classroom.

Frequency is the Basis of Trust

As is the case in any relationship, trust is crucial, but it develops slowly, and its steadiness must be maintained continuously. Teachers should think of themselves as parents’ best friends when it comes to challenging and inspiring their young ones.

Parents need to have the option to check up on their children with the same ease they get from consulting their GPS to get directions to a destination. The more frequently parents have access to academic scores, performance metrics and the behavioral information for their child, the more at ease they will be leaving the fate of their young ones in the school administration’s hands. This will make it more likely that they will give their seal of approval to the school as their child’s second home.

Frequency and consistency in communication will ensure strong compatibility between the school and the parent, one which reassures parents they made the right choice for their child’s education.

Happy Teacher, Happy Parent

In order for kids to excel academically, the well-being of a teacher is equally important as their own. A teacher must feel like caring mentors rather than underappreciated babysitters.

Every parent has concerns they wish to bring up with their child’s teacher, but it is next to impossible to hold a satisfactory one-on-one meeting in increasingly crowded classrooms. Teachers can streamline some of the most important elements of parent-teacher communication. Updates, reminders, and student performance information can be released simultaneously through a simple SMS text that helps teachers deal with every student’s parent in a more pragmatic and efficient manner.

Not only is it important for teachers to relay updates regarding parent concerns, but it is crucial that they do it in a timely manner. If a problem arises, parents have the right to know about it immediately. This involves parents from the start, leading to a more effective solution through effective parent-teacher partnership.

Extracurricular Communication

Parent-teacher conferences can’t address every issue a student may have. Urgent matters can occur in between parent-teacher meetings and must be dealt with through other means. Every school must implement a communication side channel. Phone calls, video calls, emails, texts, can all be utilized for concise and to-the-point updates or reports, rather than releasing a long letter that outlines the general issues, at the beginning of each month.

In today’s hyper-connected, mobile-first world, parents need to feel like they are in the classroom, in the school halls, and close to everything happening in their children’s fast-paced, ever-changing academic and social life. Making information easily accessible and available is just the first step. The next is streamlining the internal structure of the school administration. School administrators need to reduce the barriers between parent and teacher communication.

Parents demand access to student report cards, records compilation, accounts, admission forms, attendance records, and a session calendar. Schools that offer this information in an easy-to-use platform establish themselves as leaders in education. Those that go the extra step can offer personalized SMS messages alerting parents to important developments inside and outside the classroom.
To learn more about how you can make your students’ parents feel more involved and trusting,  see our live demo of WPSchoolPress. Empower your school staff to send updates to parents in a transparent, accessible manner through an easy-to-use system.

Try Demo

Explore all the features of WPSchoolPress like attendance management, student grading system, etc by trying it’s live demo


Health Matters

Adjectives are not always necessary. I am aware that people will sometimes describe someone as African-American or Hispanic. They do not describe someone as Caucasian. If the writing is an attempt to identify an individual, then the added characteristics would be helpful, but that often is not the case.

A year ago, I wrote my first article in the Alameda Sun. It outlined Calyx Health’s mission to build the healthcare system that seniors deserve and urgently need. At the time, I was confident that if myself and my staff controlled what happened within each clinic’s four walls, we could achieve that mission.

Question: What is  whiplash all about and do I really need to do anything to heal?

Answer: Whiplash is a common concern at the chiropractor and at other practitioner’s offices. Most people associate whiplash with automobile rear-end accidents. But, this condition can occur in sports and other injuries, too. Whiplash is an injury to the neck and upper-back’s ligaments and tendons. It also involves the discs, nerves and blood vessels.

It is not unusual to want to change someone else’s behavior. I hear this from parents, teachers and partners in a relationship. One can try a couple of techniques.

First, try to ignore a person’s behavior so that they get no attention for what they are doing. If a child keeps calling a parent into their bedroom after they have been told it is time to go to sleep, they will eventually cease asking if the parent starts ignoring them. By going into the room, the parent teaches the child to continue the behavior because the child gets their way.


How to Stay On Track During the Holidays

The holidays are a delicious and magical time of year. It is a time to reflect on the year that passed and look forward to the year that is coming. It is a time to, quite literally, break bread with your loved ones. What does your family eat during the holidays? Mole? Pozole? For instance, in my family, we eat a traditional dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, Honey Baked Ham and pie on Thanksgiving. For Christmas, we eat tamales and menudo with bolillos and champurado. For New Year’s, we usually eat panes con pollo, and wash them down with ponche

These foods are traditional and deeply rooted in the generations that came before us, traditions and history.  Whenever I eat a tamal on Christmas, I recall that the recipe comes from my Nana, and her mother before her. When I bite into a tamal during the holidays, it is as though my Nanas are with me.

My mouth is watering as I write this. However, even with (or perhaps because of)  this yummy goodness in mind, the holidays may be a stress trigger for some of us. No, I am not talking about annoying relatives (more on them later). I am referring to those of us who want to stay on track during the holidays. Perhaps the traditional foods seem like a source of temptation. I am here to tell you CHB fam— we have every right to enjoy the holidays and our roots this year! The key is to enjoy this time of year with balance in mind.

Read on for tips on how to stay on track, and enjoy the holidays. Though this is being written just in time for Thanksgiving, these tips come in handy for any type of congregating where the foods may be more indulgent than you would typically prefer to consume.

As mentioned earlier, balance is the key here.

Tips on how to stay healthy during the holidays:

Bring a side of veggies

Consider yourself the health ambassador to your family (which hopefully are not stubborn or close minded to healthy options).  Bring a side of steamed veggies, a side of roasted veggies and a fresh salad. There is something there for every palette. Plus, you can ensure you fill up on vegetables before indulging on other options.

Bring a (semi) healthified version of a popular dish

Instead of canned cranberry sauce, you can make your own at home with organic cranberries and oranges. Or, you can try making your own pie!  Ingredients like flour, sugar, grass fed butter, and pumpkin puree are ingredients you can actually pronounce. Though it is still a pie, it is definitely a step above something store bought with preservatives, or ingredients we cannot pronounce. Just the other day, I saw a store bought pie that contained soybean oil. Sounds much less appetizing to me than grass fed butter as an ingredient.

Don’t have time to get your cook on? Perhaps some cut fruit and dark chocolate may help you get that sweet tooth this holiday season.

Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch so you can enjoy dinner, “guilt” free

Eat a breakfast full of your necessary macronutrients. Eat a lunch chock full of greens. Drink lots of water. If you do all this before the big holiday dinner, you can rest assured that you have some nutrients in your body. Cooking all day and need something quick and healthy? Chug some Get Yo Greens Mix to flood your body with greens.

Get a workout in that morning, before the festivities start.

Do something good for your body, and later on, enjoy reasonable portions of your favorite traditional foods amongst your loved ones.

Remember What Matters Most

Remember, it’s about the memories. The holidays are about the experiences with loved ones. It is about making intergenerational memories. It is about honoring the traditions that define us. Perhaps this holiday is the holiday your suegra finally includes you in the tamal making festivities, so that when you are the matriarch of the legacy she and you will share, you will be the one to pass down the recipes. Deep, right? It is as though these experiences we share transcend time— the future, present and past are all together at once as we share experiences with our closest loved ones. This time of year is about honoring our ancestors and loved ones. Finding the balance with food is important for our health so that we can be around for as long as possible to have these experiences, yes. However, finding the balance is just a part of the whole mosaic that is our traditions this time of year.

So we’ve mastered balance. Now, how do we combat opposition?

So now that that is established, let’s move on. So say you got your work out in, you’re hydrated, you brought some greens to the party. Perhaps you even mediated or prayed before the party so that you can be grounded to deal with the relatives you love but who are also annoying. Let’s be real! You’re popping with all your goals to stay healthy, aligned and balanced. Now, how do you deal with relatives who are excessively comunicativos ? (Para no decir mitoteros.)  How do we deal with relatives who pressure you to “break your diet?” Have you heard this type of opposition before? “Its just once a year we ate these foods, why are you only eating one tamal?”

Some relatives may even feel despreciados if their dishes are refused. After all, in our culture, love is sometimes shown through food.  How many grandmothers and mothers and tias and madrinas tell us we look like we are too thin and try to feed us to show us love. Some of my friends laugh because even when they feel fluffy they are told they look too thin…then they are (kinda) force fed. On the other hand, this has been my personal experience: some family members feel a lack of control in their own health decisions so they feel the need to control the decisions of others. It sucks. And if you are going through this, I am sorry.

Most of the time, any pressure to eat in a way that does not align with your long term health goals can be rooted somewhere in the middle of the spectrum: relatives only just trying to show love through food, or some relatives be hatin’!

How to deal with nosy relatives this holiday season

Positive opposition:

Instead of framing your eating choices around weight, focus on how you feel. For instance, a comment like, when I eat more greens and smaller portions of the other things, I just feel so much more energized! gets the message across. Another example could be: I am trying to set a good example for my children. How can I expect them to eat greens if I don’t? Anyways, the holidays are right at the peak of the cold and flu season! If all else fails, tell those pushy relatives you’re going your best to stay on your “A Game” to enjoy spending time with everyone.

Strength in numbers:

Maybe someone else in your family has goals similar to yours. This person can be your ally! For instance, I go into reunions with my husband and we make sure we start off with greens to offset our appetite to make sure that we really enjoy the traditional foods without over indulging.

Al Ratito:

If all else fails, try this tried and true response to offset pushy relatives who want you to “break your diet” for one reason or another: “Al ratito.” Al ratito may not come, and your (slightly pushy) relative may not even notice.

Tying it all together

Health is wealth. Making choices that are good for your body can help you to maintain your health for the long term. If you can live a healthy life, then that can give you the freedom to spend many holiday seasons con la familia. Finding balance is a great frame of mind to maintain as we enter this holiday season. There is enough to stress about, after all. And, if you happen to get off track, there is no need to feel guilty. Enjoy it and remember that tomorrow is a new day. The Compton Detox will be there to help you feel back on track the next day. Be good to your body, enjoy the flavors, spend time with loved ones, and make happy memories that can last a lifetime.

How do you celebrate the holidays in a balanced way? We’d love to read in da comments. Hasta próxima. Happy holidays from everyone here at Compton Health Bar!!


标签归档：bicycle gearing

e cycle gearing

electric mountain bike (7)

On some bicycles, there is only one gear and the gear ratio is fixed. Many contemporary bicycles have multiple gears and thus multiple gear ratios. A shifting mechanism allows selection of the appropriate gear ratio for efficiency or comfort under the prevailing circumstances: for example, it may be comfortable to use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. Different gear ratios and gear ranges are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling.


barbara mayer gesellschaftsrecht p.jpgstephanie von riegen gesellschaftsrecht2.jpg

M&A/Antitrust: Acquirer can be liable for the acquired company´s cartel infringements

In a landmark judgement (Case C-724/17 – “Skanska”), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held on March 14, 2019 that a company cannot escape its liability for cartel infringements by changing its identity through corporate restructuring, transfers or other changes of legal or organisational nature. The acquirer shall in any event be liable for antitrust violations committed by a company taken over and subsequently liquidated if it essentially continues its economic activities.

The Decision of the European Court of Justice

The ECJ reasoned that if a company which committed a cartel infringement is subject to legal or organisational change, this change does not create a new undertaking free of liability if from an economic point of view the new undertaking and its predecessor are identical. Thus, by acquiring, dissolving and assuming the commercial activities of an entity found liable for a cartel breach, the acquirer also assumes such entity’s liability for damages.

A legal succession of liability was already established in the context of imposition of antitrust fines for EU competition law infringements. But according to the ECJ, the EU prohibition of cartels will only be effective if public and private enforcement go hand in hand. By extending the concept of economic continuity, the ECJ held that the same entities that have violated the rules of EU competition law are subject to sanctions by antitrust authorities and legally liable for private damages in a civil action.

Practical Advice: Antitrust due diligence in M&A transactions

The ECJ strengthens the rights of claimants in antitrust damages actions, who can now claim against the legal successor or the parent companies of companies involved in the cartel even if the latter no longer exist. However, the Skanska ruling will also have implications on M&A transactions. The other side of the coin is the increased risk that the purchaser of an undertaking will later be held financially accountable for previous antitrust infringements committed by the acquired company. Claims for damages are unlimited in amount and depend solely on the actual damage suffered by the cartel victim, so that excessive purchase prices or lost profits due to the cartel must also be compensated.

Purchasers of an undertaking should counter this liability potential in a corporate transaction with a full due diligence exercise under antitrust law to ensure that they are not acquiring the risk of liability for cartel fines and any resulting damage claims. According to the ruling, legal succession liability explicitly applies to share deals, but in application of the rule of economic continuity even asset deals can result in further antitrust risks if the original company no longer exists.


Vital Pulpotomy

We have just completed a procedure called “vital pulpotomy”.

Simply put, we have removed part of the pulp (nerve) from the inside of the tooth, placed a soothing medication, and covered it with a temporary filling. This is an emergency procedure which is usually successful in reducing or eliminating pain.

Although you should feel considerable relief when the anesthetic wears off, some soreness is to be expected. Due to the unpredictable amount of internal breakdown, the amount of improvement cannot always be accurately predicted, and further treatment may be needed to provide you with relief. Take medication for pain as needed. Ibuprophen ( such as Advil or Nuprin) is usually quite effective. Please call our office at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

A pulpotomy is meant only as a temporary measure for relief of a painful condition. You will need further treatment, usually endodontic therapy (root canal), to save the tooth. Please don’t put off continued care. An untreated pulpotomy almost always leads to painful abscess formation and possible tooth loss.


ISSA, TRX - Team Member Since 2004
Location: Wall

Paul Hodges

My Fitness Philosophy

The human body is one of the most complex and intricate organic machines that Nature has ever devised – and as such it needs to be maintained and exercised every day to maximize its potential and longevity. Always be on the move - whether at work or play!

What Jersey Strong Means To Me

'Jersey Strong' to me represents teamwork - whether it is illustrated by Jersey Strong's commitment to help individuals and local communities overcome adversity, hardships or natural disaster, or in my Personal Training staff's daily commitment to elevate their clients to success and greatness.

Why I am Passionate About Being at Jersey Strong

There is no better reward than when a member or client comes to me and tells me their health and fitness success story at Jersey Strong - how their hard work and dedication has paid off for them.

"The difference between 'try' and 'triumph' is just a little 'umph'!"


Strategy And Prepare

Pet AnimalsCalifornia law demands that all adopted dogs and cats be spayed or neutered prior to leaving our Animal Care Center. Cat attacks are no laughing matter, and aside from the often reported agony that they cause to the victims, cat bites are heavily prone to infection, even much more so than dog bites. If you want a social companion you do not want to walk and you are allergic to fur, a parrot might be a suitable match, and this is also an exotic pet. Entry or re-entry (returning with an EU pet animal) into the EU from the other third countries or territories outdoors the EU shall be authorised via the travellers’ points of entry only, where the competent authority supplies for the verification of documents and identity of the pet animals.

There are many zoos overflowing with exotic animals that men and women have released since they overestimated their capacity to care for a wild creature. This lens was designed as the very first step towards awareness for accountable pet owners. Animals not permitted: rodents, rabbits, ferrets, farm animals, birds of prey and reptiles. Such men and women are seething mad at the notion that somebody desires to own a particular pet—and whether or not the pet’s care demands improvement, or if it appears to be pampered—that does not cease them from declaring that exotic pet owners are selfish egomaniacs that require to have their pets taken from them.

If you’re going to enforce your bizarre logic on this web page and continue to make exotic pet owners look undesirable at least be eloquent. A dog or cat can be spayed or neutered at almost any age, according to the American Medical Veterinary Association (AVMA). A human-socialized tiger has a better disposition than a feral cat, but the feral cat is domesticated and the tiger is not, due to the fact that word implies a adjust of genes. Genets are not threatened by the pet trade AT ALL, so that component of your lecture is just useless.

The concern of cats killing little animals indiscriminately is a cause for wonderful concern. In fact the method is about the identical as acquiring well being insurance for your self….Ask your Vet which organization they recommend, they may even have details at their office….Figure out how a lot you are willing to spend for the policy….Make sure your pet is eligible for coverage by reading the policy or talking to a representative….Figure out just how considerably coverage you want and how numerous extras you want to add or what you want to exclude.

If you are unable to afford pet well being insurance for your pets, there are some non-profit organizations that can aid you financially. Scientists are now taking into consideration taking cheetahs out of the definition of large cat. Owning a dog, an (ordinary) cat or an exotic bird is 1 thing, but owning enormous snakes and wild animals, such as lions, tigers, can be really hazardous and is …

Plan And Prepare

Pet AnimalsThe objective of this lens is to document and highlight the existing inhumane and abusive therapy of dogs in The Peoples Republic of China, with the hope that worldwide information and consideration will support and assist the Chinese individuals in securing adequate and essential animal welfare protection. The downfall is these animals bond and learn to enjoy and want to be around us so you are liable for that distinctive animals future. This has been a really tough lens for me to create, simply because of the fact that I really like dogs and I’m a lifelong pet owner. Maintaining a hamster in a horse steady or feeding rabbit chow to a dog is in NO WAY, SHAPE, OR Kind comparable to exotic pet ownership. This is an additional wild cat species employed to make hybrids with domesticated cats (‘chausie’, ‘jungle bob’). For instance, if you feed your dog bones (chicken bones, pork bones, cow bones, and so forth) bone fragments can lead to very painful, and occasionally life threatening, blockage.

An individual like that – who desires to parade a tiger down the street clearly does not have the animals best interest at heart. This guidance is intended to help carriers (e.g. ferry operators, airlines, railway firms) to care for and defend the welfare of pet animals in the course of journeys to and from Great Britain. He then mentioned it should be illegal everywhere for any individual to personal unsafe wild animals like this, and that he was glad far more municipalities are outlawing them. Definitely, and often domesticated animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and livestock are included inside assessments of ‘exotic pet zoonosis’.

Several pet owners fail to turn out to be attuned with their pets mannerisms that may possibly hint that an animal is becoming irritated. The Budgerigar or the Parakeet is in fact the best pet and is the most lovable animal. So he is a new adopted really loved family members member who fits right in, and currently gets along with all the animals , nor is he afraid of them! The Hiran Minar near Lahore , Pakistan was built in the 17th century by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir as a funerary monument in honor of his pet deer. Cloverleaffarm- nicely you see that’s just it. If a pet calls for specialized information to avoid undesirable incidents that is a purpose to list them here.

That, plus the animals already at the shelter, meant the organization was caring for far more than 1,000 animals. Anyway, I had an aunt in NYC who always had strange animals in the house coming and going. The most up-to-date, in-depth, entertaining-to-read pet rat care guide I’ve located. I actually had a baby alligator I got visiing family members in Miami, but ended up selling it to a pet store. Wild animals are wild and we as humans have constantly taken them in and changed them to fit us. Need to we do that is one more question …


Three words was all it took for the world to turn upside down: Japanese soufflé pancakes. And if you want to be technical, it was really only the "soufflé pancakes" part. "Japanese" is just an intriguing modifier.

Make them I did, but first I had to buy a set of ring molds. These are like large napkin rings somewhere along the lines of 3 inches wide and 2 ½ inches high. You can get them in many different sizes, but that’s a good one for our purposes, or maybe a bit wider.

The ring molds were the easy part. The actual making of the soufflé pancakes was a bit of a hassle, but only because something kept going wrong. I added essentially room-temperature melted butter into essentially room-temperature milk, and the butter immediately hardened into a raft of butter globules.

So I tried it the second time, and the same thing happened.

So I tried it a third time. And I got the same result.

I’m nothing if not persistent, occasionally, so I tried it a fourth time, but I used a different method. This time, I heated the milk and butter together just until the butter melted. Then I whisked this mixture into the egg yolk just a few drops at a time to keep the egg from scrambling.

After a couple of tablespoons’ worth or so, I increased the hot (but cooling) liquid to a half-teaspoon, then three-quarters of a teaspoon, and so on. After I’d added maybe a quarter of a cup, I slowly added the rest of the milk/butter mixture, whisking all the time.

That technique, called tempering, worked like a charm.

There is only one other difference between soufflé pancakes and regular pancakes, and that is the part that makes it a soufflé. All you have to do is whip egg whites to stiff peaks — you can use a mixer; I used a whisk — and fold it gently into the rest of the batter.

Powdered sugar is highly recommended. Syrup is essential.

Yield: 8 pancakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups milk

4 tablespoons butter cut into pieces

1 large egg yolk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar for serving

Note: You will need 4 ring molds, each about 3 inches wide by 2 ½ inches high.

2. Heat milk and butter together in a saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Place egg yolk in a medium bowl and whisk in just a few drops of the milk mixture at a time. Keep whisking and adding the milk mixture, gradually increasing the amount of milk mixture. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together in another bowl until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.

5. Lightly butter the inside of the ring molds or spray with nonstick spray.

6. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Place the prepared ring molds in the middle of the skillet and fill each with ½ cup of batter, filling each ring mold about halfway.

7. Cover the skillet with the lid and cook until the batter is golden on the bottom — it should rise to the tops of the ring molds, be covered with bubbles and jiggle only slightly when shaken. Using a spatula and tongs, carefully flip the ring molds. Cover and cook until golden on the other side.

8. Serve with butter and maple syrup and maybe some more powdered sugar.

Adapted from a recipe by the Food Network Kitchen.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Karsog 1/undefined by Tripoto

Anshul Sharma
Shiva Kumar Bashetti
I always like to visit offbeat and hidden destinations where there is not much tourist rush. My search often led me to some very beautiful places. When I was in Shimla after ticking off my list to visit the famous hill station, I was looking for some lesser known destination where I could spend my time peacefully amidst nature. That is when I chanced upon Karsog Valley. Karsog is situated around 100 km from Shimla at an altitude of 1407 metres. It has all the beauty of the lower Himalayas and the pace of life is refreshingly slow here. Once at Karsog, I was mesmerized by the simple, yet spellbinding beauty of the place.


Bronna Butler

B. A. Baroque Arts, LLC
New Jersey, USA
My early interest in both the Arts and Science/Math resulted in two rotating careers, one in art and another in finance/science. My current artwork - multifaceted glass/metal sculptures and 2D imagery focusing on recreational mathematics, mathematicians and physicists, and science in general - unites my two passions. I strive to include puzzles, enigmas and optical illusions in my pieces. Stylistically, my glass and oil painting techniques are derived from the Baroque and Renaissance periods when artists were involved in the “science” of the arts such as the chemistry of their paints/materials, precise anatomy and perspective. The content and purpose of art during these two periods frequently embraced science and mathematics.
"What if time is circular?"
36 x 27 cm
Print - oil study for a glass window
If time were circular, would we eventually “run into” our younger selves? Stephen Hawking concludes in his “A Brief History of Time” that the “arrow of time” travels in one direction, from past to's highly improbable that a broken cup on the floor would jump back onto the table and reassemble itself. My piece, “What if time is circular”, is in the spirit of the Surrealist painters, many of whom were interested in time and other dimensions. I painted Hawking wheeling along the event horizon of a black hole (Hawking’s work transformed our understanding of black holes). The abrupt, incongruous doorway further ahead suggests a surrealistic, different dimension. Who, and more importantly when, is the figure standing in the doorway?